Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween-orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as one on a jack-o’-lantern. After the wedding Van drowns her sorrows in Kool-Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin Tin Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the Internet.

Why Can't I Be You

When Jenny Shaw hears someone shout "Jessie!" across a hotel lobby, she impulsively answers. All her life, Jenny has toed the line, but something propels her to seize the opportunity to become Jessie Morgan, a woman to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. Lonely in her own life, Jenny is embraced by Jessie’s warm circle of friends - and finds unexpected romance. But when she delves into Jessie’s past, Jenny discovers a secret that spurs her to take another leap into the unknown.

The Apple Orchard

Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother’s beloved necklace - despite Tess’s advice. To Annelise, the jewel’s value is in its memories. But Tess’s own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a 100-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel. The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half-sister she’s never heard of.

Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery

In this, their first adventure, Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of Madison, a teenage girl who may or may not have been kidnapped, but who has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters.

The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation

November 1958, New York. Into the rarefied atmosphere of wealth and tradition at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden comes the most unlikely of horses—a drab white former plow horse named Snowman—and his rider, Harry de Leyer. They were the longest of all longshots—and their win was the stuff of legend.

Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words

Chaser has a way with words. She knows over a thousand of them—more than any other animal of any species except humans. In addition to common nouns like house, ball, and tree, she has memorized the names of more than one thousand toys and can retrieve any of them on command. Based on that learning, she and her owner and trainer, retired psychologist John Pilley, have moved on to further impressive feats, demonstrating her ability to understand sentences with multiple elements of grammar and to learn new behaviors by imitation.

The Best Man

Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there.... Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief - and best friend of her former fiancé. There's a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it's not just those deep green eyes.

When It Rains

One night changed my life forever. Beau Bennett has been my best friend since I can remember. He was my first crush before everything came crashing down, and now he wants more, but it's more than I can give him. Things are different now. I wish I could tell him why, but I can't. I haven’t told anyone. I never knew how much I really needed him until the day he left for college, and I was completely alone.

A Dog Named Christmas

Todd, the youngest of four children, has a developmental disability that keeps him at home on the farm with his mother and father. One special holiday season, Todd hears an ad on the radio from a shelter looking for temporary homes for their dogs during the holiday week. When Todd's parents at last give in to his pleas for this charitable cause, the family is faced with an entire shelter full of dogs needing homes.

Calling Me Home: A Novel

Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a big favor to ask her hairdresser, Dorrie. She wants the black single mother to drop everything and drive her from Texas to a funeral in Ohio - tomorrow. Dorrie, fleeing problems of her own and curious about Isabelle’s past, agrees, not knowing it will be a journey that changes both their lives. Isabelle confesses that, as a teen in 1930s Kentucky, she fell in love with Robert Prewitt, a would-be doctor and the black son of her family’s housekeeper - in a town where blacks weren’t allowed after dark. The tale of their forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences just might help Dorrie find her own way.

Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide

Whatever You Do, Don't Run is a hilarious collection of true tales from top ­safari guide Peter Allison. In a place where the wrong behavior could get you eaten, Allison has survived face-to-face encounters with big cats, angry ­elephants, and the world's most unpredictable animals: herds of untamed tourists and foolhardy guides whose outrageous antics sometimes make them even more dangerous than a pride of hungry lions!

Murder of a Stacked Librarian: A Scumble River Mystery, Book 16

There’s no place like Scumble River at Christmastime, and this year, school psychologist Skye Denison has twice as much to celebrate - and to do. In addition to the usual holiday frenzy, Skye’s wedding to police chief Wally Boyd is less than a week away - that is, if the groom isn’t too busy working to attend. The town’s sexy new librarian, Yvonne Osborn, has just been murdered, and the list of suspects is piling up faster than late fees on an overdue book.

Windfallen

The tiny, well-ordered seaside village of Merham holds little to interest the adventurous - except for Arcadia, the breathtaking art deco house perched above the shoreline. Attracted to this magical place, young Lottie Swift surrenders freely to its temptations and ultimately must face the hard consequences of her actions. Years later, another young woman comes to Merham. A designer hired to make over the now-empty Arcadia, Daisy Parsons seeks a new beginning, as Lottie once did. Fleeing a broken relationship, Daisy finds refuge at Arcadia, and something more - a love she thought she would never know again.

Until Tuesday

A highly decorated captain in the U.S. Army, Luis Montalvan never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home, however, the pressures of his physical wounds, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder began to take their toll. In constant physical pain, he soon found himself unable to climb a simple flight of stairs or face a bus ride to the VA hospital. He drank; he argued; he cut himself off from those he loved. Then Luis met Tuesday, a beautiful and sensitive golden retriever....

Saving Grace

When Lady Johanna learned that she was a widow, she vowed she would never marry again. Only sixteen, already she possessed a strength of will that impressed all who looked past her golden-haired beauty. Yet when King John demanded that she remarry - and selected a bridegroom for her - it seemed she must acquiesce, until her beloved foster brother suggested she wed his friend, the handsome Scottish warrior Gabriel MacBain.

Timbuktu

Mr. Bones, the canine hero of this astonishing book, is the sidekick and confidant of Willy G. Christmas, a brilliant and troubled homeless man from Brooklyn. As Willy's body slowly expires, he sets off with Mr. Bones for Baltimore in search of his high-school English teacher and a new home for his companion. Mr. Bones is our witness during their journey, and out of his thoughts, Paul Auster has spun one of the richest, most compelling tales in American fiction.

Sleigh Belles

With her hair perfectly coiffed, nails freshly manicured and a heavy trail of perfume wafting behind her, local news reporter Dallas Dubois is sure she's about to kick her career - and maybe her love life - into high gear. The director of the Tuscaloosa children's Christmas play has fallen ill, and Dallas is ordered by her station manager to take the reins. Everyone is shocked - especially Cal Hollingsworth, who still remembers her as the Ice Queen from high school.

Fracture

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend, Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine - despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

The Silent Girl: A Rizzoli and Isles Novel

In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, the body nearly decapitated. Two strands of silver hair — not human — cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make a startling discovery: This violent death had a chilling prequel.

The Department of Lost & Found: A Novel

In this hopeful, humorous, and astonishingly deft debut, Allison Winn Scotch explores what happens when a young woman thinks she's lost everything that matters' and ends up discovering what's truly important. This is a novel that will leave you taking stock of what's important in your own life . . . and never letting it go.

Sunrise Point

RITA Award winner Robyn Carr is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. In this 19th installment of her Virgin River series, Tom Cavanaugh returns home to take over his family’s apple orchard and settle down. Single mom Nora Crane is nothing like the kind of woman he thought he’d fall for—yet he can’t take his eyes off her. And while they have different concepts about family, they soon find out how quickly those ideas can change.

The Ideal Man: A Novel

Dr. Ellie Sullivan has just completed her residency at a large urban hospital. While jogging in a park nearby, she witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent in pursuit of wanted criminals, a couple identified as the Landrys. The only person to see the shooter’s face, Ellie is suddenly at the center of a criminal investigation. Agent Max Daniels takes over the Landry case. A no-nonsense lawman, he’s definitely not the ideal man that Ellie has always imagined, yet she’s attracted to him in a way she can’t explain. Max vows to be Ellie’s shadow until the trial, and it isn’t long before sparks fly....

The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew at His Side

An instant hit in the UK, this is the true account of a German shepherd who was adopted by the Royal Air Force during World War II, joined in flight missions, and survived everything from crash-landings to parachute bailouts-ultimately saving the life of his owner and dearest friend. In the winter of 1939 in the cold snow of no-man's-land, two loners met and began an extraordinary journey that would turn them into lifelong friends.

Scents and Sensibility: A Chet and Bernie Mystery

In the latest entry in the immensely popular Chet and Bernie mystery series, Private Investigator Bernie Little and his canine companion, Chet, return home to encounter some alarming developments. First off, Bernie's wall safe - normally hidden behind the waterfall picture in the office - is gone, and with it Bernie's grandfather's watch, their most valuable possession. And next door, old Mr. Parsons is under investigation for being in possession of a saguaro cactus illegally transplanted from the desert. Bernie and Chet go deep into the desert to investigate.

Publisher's Summary

Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween-orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as one on a jack-o’-lantern. After the wedding Van drowns her sorrows in Kool-Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin Tin Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the Internet.

The pocket-size puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast that only responds to Slovak. Van is at the end of her rope – until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what. Van affectionately names the dog Joe, and thus begins a friendship that will alter Van’s life in ways she never imagined.

Joe leads Van to Dr. Alex Brandt, a rugged vet with floppy blond hair and a winning smile. But just as things are starting to heat up, the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, forcing Van to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted.

Warm and witty, poignant and funny, Stay marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice.

To be honest I downloaded this book because it was from the You Pick sale, and I had never read anything by the author. I will be looking for future books. Great book, very enjoyable for all the reasons you download books. I didn't want to stop listening.

This is my first book from this author and I was quite pleased. I like how she (the author) explores an awkward and heartbreaking love triangle. My only complaint (if that) is that it could have been longer!

This book was amazing! Ususally I like to read books with a little more romance, but the hilarious interactions between Joe (the dog) and Van more than make up for it. Don't get me wrong, there was definitely a romance but the story was more about self-growth, friends, and family. If you are a dog lover looking for a light, humorous read you will love this!

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. As a dog lover it was very funny to listen to a new dog owners plight of a huge puppy who speaks a different language. I really like the characters especially Joe.

I never buy a book featuring dog characters unless I can find out, first, if the dog survives. There are too many things to be sad about, without weeping over fictional dead dogs. I saw this book, with a gorgeous dog on the cover and was tempted. Fortunately, some other compassionate reviewer hinted that yes, the dog was alive and wagging his tail at the end, so I clicked on "buy".

Well, okay. I liked the dog -- "Joe" -- whom she acquires in a totally hilarious situation, one of many parts of the book that are so funny I laughed till I cried. If you've ever owned a BIG dog, you'll love these tales -- they're very funny, and absolutely true. That was the good part.

But sad to say, the major focus of the book is Van's -- the protagonist -- life-long infatuation with a weak and shallow character named Peter, who, in the beginning of the book, is getting married to Van's best girlfriend. There's not much to recommend about Peter -- he has his moments, maybe, but really, he's not worth it -- so listening to Van mope over him for the better part of the book got a little silly.

If it hadn't been for the great 'dog' stories in this book -- and the promise of more, if I'd just keep listening -- I'd have given up on the love story, because indeed, a more worthy man came along. And as you might expect, there was all the traditional, tried and true, scenes of fighting and making up with this new guy -- but at least he was a more worthy human than Peter had been. No hot erotic scenes that I recall, just a lot of mental lust that really didn't interest me -- all I wanted was to hear more about the dog.

So? The parts about Joe, the dog, are really good. I'm still laughing at the memory of some of them -- they make the book itself well worth the credit. As for the rest? Eh.

every once in awhile you pick up a book not expecting to much. It was a most pleasant surprise at how very much I enjoyed this book. I am looking forward to hearing from this author again. Highly recommend this listen.

The story of Savanna (Van) as she comes to terms with all the uncontrollable people and events in her life, and learns to take some control in order to find peace and happiness. A cute story told in first person from Savanna's point-of-view, including a nice light romance and a 100 pound dog too.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.